


a thing or two

by curiouscat99



Series: Reason for living [4]
Category: Vinland Saga (Anime), Vinland Saga (Manga)
Genre: Beowulf reference, Canute teaches thorfinn, Established Relationship, M/M, Other, Thornute, Workaholic canute, canufinn, thorfinn x canute, vinland saga - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:15:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25651972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curiouscat99/pseuds/curiouscat99
Summary: Canute teaches Thorfinn a few things and is surprised to see the result.Also, workaholic Canute and Thorfinn is grumpy but caring.
Relationships: Canute/Thorfinn (Vinland Saga)
Series: Reason for living [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656571
Comments: 3
Kudos: 43





	a thing or two

**Author's Note:**

> Just wanna write something about this for a long while now. Have fun. Hopefully.

**January 1017**

His footfalls are almost inaudible as he walks in the darkness of the camp. Torch in hand, Thorfinn’s perpetual frown hovers in the area. There are a couple of warriors - patrolling guards who keep everything in check but somehow it has grown on him, a habit to double check the security of their camp particularly in one corner.

He returned inside after a while. His keen senses instantly activated the moment he stepped forwards with his booted feet. _That idiot, working late again._

Thorfinn’s frown deepens and his steps go from stealth to _who gives a shit if he makes it too obvious that he is coming_. In the corner most of the longhouse is a door, slightly open with a single source of light - the King’s temporary office.

Thorfinn did not bother to knock. Like a plague without warning, he summoned himself and Canute does not need to lift his head to know that it is him. There he sits, in front of a pile of books scribbling on one paper to another. A wisp of blond hair that looks out of its place is there and Canute doesn’t bother to wipe it off. Thorfinn walks inside pushing the door and it creaks open wide which cracks the silence in the very room. Such a small sound is enough to break the stillness and eventually ensnare the King’s attention.

“I’ll be done soon,” Canute glances at him then back on the paper. They are currently in a tumultuous situation as the English once again make their move to retaliate after the death of their King. The truce only helps in terms of making everything official but Canute knows that he still needs to fight Edmund’s remaining followers. After that is where the true victory lies. 

Thorfinn folds his arms and leans on the wall while he waits. Only the sound of Canute’s scribbling can be heard and the quietude deepens with the night. The royalty glances at the warrior from time to time. They are used to each other’s presence and neither one of them needs to question the other about certain things.

“...still persuading those bastards,” Thorfinn mumbles. Whether he said something before that, Canute did not notice. 

The remark made him pause and the King looked at him amusedly.

“We had enough blood spilled in this land. It’s time for the ink to do the talking.” Canute says before continuing.

Thorfinn muses on the statement. How true and intriguing. Fighting is the only thing he’s good at and he has nothing to say in the matter of spilling ink instead of blood. He had seen how Canute handled and finished things in his way. 

“It’s their fault," Thorfinn speaks again. “Their King is dead and they have nowhere else to go than to submit to you.” 

Canute stretches his back and sighs, his long hours of working will punish him soon.

“They know it, the people know it,” the royalty replies. “It would be too much had I needed to slay every single remaining man of the English court, wouldn’t you think?” 

“Heh,” Thorfinn adjusts himself onto the wall and glances at the papers on the table. 

“That’s a lot of letters,”

“You can say these are letters?” 

“Been seeing a lot of those lately.”

Canute starts folding it. He arranges a few books and takes the ink to the side of the table before standing up. It is almost time for him to retire.

“I want them to know that we Norsemen have different ways of solving things,” he picks up a single book before turning outside and looks at Thorfinn expectantly. 

“Whatever you say,” Thorfinn takes the candle and walks side by side with the King. The light dances amidst the cold and darkness of the hallways creating shadows of them on the walls. Along the way, he catches a glimpse of the book Canute is holding. The book is in English, he can tell. Thorfinn cannot read but living in the country for more than a year familiarizes him with a few English words.

Canute has been having trouble sleeping now and then and reading a book greatly helps him to be at ease. Although it also caused him additional bags under his eyes on which Thorfinn had to scold him right away.

Once they reach the King’s bedroom, Thorfinn puts the oil lamp on the side table while Canute drops the book on his bed to change.

“Would you like to continue studying?”

Thorfinn tilts his head with furrowed eyebrows. Canute has been insisting him to learn the language when they have free time, which is rare. A few months ago ever since he tried to write both in Norse and English. He successfully wrote his name in two languages but unfortunately forgot the rest of what he learned. Writing is much easier than reading for Thorfinn.

“Reading is a bitch.” he grumbles and Canute stifles a laugh. 

“It wouldn’t be if you keep on trying.” the royalty brushes his hair and plops down onto his bed, picking up the book.

“Don’t see how it’s gonna help me beat those weaklings,” the warrior responds, pointing out the Englishmen.

“It certainly wouldn’t,” Canute says and opens the book to continue reading on where he left from last night. “But an additional skill won’t hurt.”

“Cheh,” Thorfinn sits next to him, frowning at the book. Sometimes he hates it when Canute makes valid points. 

“What’s it about?”

“A lone wolf,” Canute answers without looking at him but is amused at the curiosity. 

“Hah, didn’t wolves go on in packs?” Thorfinn asked with a raised eyebrow.

The royalty raises his head to look at him and with a ghost of a smile speaks again.

“He was a lone wolf that lost his way and found out that his destiny is to help a King.”

Thorfinn stares at him with calculating eyes, his nose wrinkles as if he ate something sour.

“You’re making that shit up,” he accuses.

Canute then places the book on Thorfinn’s lap. “I knew you would say that. That’s why you need to read so that you would know if I am telling the truth.”

Thorfinn holds the book with a pout and glances at Canute. It’s not that he loathes reading but the task is making his head ache. He grew up without knowing a single alphabet and frankly he thinks that it’s all too late for him to learn how to read and write. Besides, he is not a royalty and such a skill is not required for him. 

“Tch, just read it for me.” he returns the book on Canute’s hands and huffs. 

“First, I wasn’t lying,” Canute says as he flips another page and summarizes. It is indeed a story of a lone wolf but the wolf is merely a term for the hero of the story who chases his destiny even if it means leaving his pack behind or the people that he calls family. Along his journey, he encounters a young Dane who is destined to be the King of his land. The hero helped the Dane king to save his kingdom against a powerful beast and gathered allies to build his own kingdom years later. However, a dragon came to attack the protagonist’s palace and destroy everything. The hero managed to slay the dragon but died in the process. His people mourned and built a tower in his honor.

“Not bad,” Thorfinn comments. “But the tale when you fell from a horse because of a chicken is still the best.”

Canute jabs Thorfinn’s shoulder and the latter snorts with laughter. The incident happened a few weeks ago when their party was on their way back to the camp. They were not together side by side when it happened and Thorfinn only heard the story from the Jomsvikings. The fall was not that bad as Canute did not gain any injury from it. 

“Strangely familiar too,” Thorfinn adds, massaging the part of him that Canute hit.

The royalty closed the book and put it over the side table. “Only the first part,” he says and Thorfinn nods. “But I wonder..” 

There is a pause in his statement and the young warrior waits for him to continue.

“If you left, if you chose a different path than helping me, than protecting me, you could have built your paradise.” Canute says but Thorfinn clicks his tongue.

“Am not up for it,” he rolls his eyes. “And I have no place to go besides home.” Thorfinn answers and memory from his past rewinds in his mind. Leif Erickson used to tell him bedtime stories about a faraway land. He was a kid back then and always finds it enjoyable to hear. Maybe if he went to a different path he could have ended up in going to that place. Just like the protagonist in the book building his own Kingdom.

“My father used to tell me about someplace,” 

Canute tucks a strand of hair at the back of his ear as he listens.

“Vinland.”

“Vinland?” the young King squints at the unfamiliar word. 

“Somewhere warm, somewhere not here,” Thorfinn whispers and remembers how Leif described it in his stories. “Not sure where that is or if that truly exists.” he shifts on the bed to lie down while Canute props his legs beside him.

“Aren't you interested in finding it?” Canute asks, looking at him.

Thorfinn did not answer right away which gives away his lack of interest in the matter. It was his father’s dream to find Vinland and to live there but his dream is different. He has his own mind, his own future.

“No,” Thorfinn replies finally. “Not interested.”

“Then what interests you?” Canute inquires again. 

The warrior is silent for a while and stares at the royal. He starts reaching for a strand of Canute’s hair and fumbles it with his fingers and smirks.

“Whatcha think?” 

“How am I going to guess wha--”

All of a sudden Thorfinn pulls him down and Canute’s face plops down on his chest, locking the royal between his arms. Canute whines before Thorfinn scolds him to rest already.

* * *

The king waltzes inside his office with a smile while watching his subject struggle to write something on a piece of paper. 

In opposed to him, Thorfinn is scowling like a disappointed child that is about to throw tantrums at any given minute. Canute is back at it again into forcing him to study. He has no idea on how teachers are supposed to treat their students, whether they choke them to death if they didn't get anything right or just blab for an hour until something makes sense and hopes that the student gets it. 

“You’re not that hard to teach, Thorfinn,”

“The hell,” he grumbles and glares at the piece of paper. “I already memorized everything!”

“That’s why I am telling you to write.”

“Do I really have to do this?!”

“Haven’t I told you before?” Canute smiles a genuine one, not the one where he is planning to overthrow some king in the land. “It’s my payment from the combat training that you’ve given me.”

“I did not ask you to teach me!”

“See, Thorfinn, I can also teach you with the things I know while you teach me on the things you’re good at.”

“Are you fucking listening to me?!”

“Y-you’re majesty?” 

They both turned their heads at the last voice they’ve heard. Gunnar stares at them awkwardly after overhearing their on-going argument. Canute clears his throat and orders him to send the letters at the lords and other nobilities from the English court. Gunnar scampers on his way outside the King’s office in fear that he is getting in the middle of a lover’s quarrel. 

Thorfinn breathes out, his eyes not leaving Canute while the royal stares unflinching. 

“Fine.” Thorfinn surrenders, he knows Canute can be stubborn at times. They both can be, actually, and it doesn’t always end up good. From the look that Canute is giving him, he will have a hard time leaving his presence not until he does what he wants.

“Whatcha want me to write then?”

“Hmm,” the King hums and an idea strikes. “I want you to write about your dream. It could be anything, a sentence, or even a broken sentence will work.”

“HAH?” 

Thorfinn groans and stares at the paper once again when a soldier arrives asking for the King’s permission for some matter and Canute goes to talk to him, leaving the office and Thorfinn behind. Thorfinn wracks his brain on what to write.

There is nothing in particular and of great importance that he dreams of. He thinks about visiting his homeland one day in the future but it won’t be counted as a dream. 

He is not entirely goalless, that is for sure. He lives his life protecting the sovereign of England for some time now and is quite an achievement on his part especially if the said royal had multiple assassins now and then. And he wants to continue protecting him to the best of his abilities because he believes that Canute’s method is the right thing to do. It sounds like he is only riding on Canute’s dreams but that's not entirely true. There are times that the royal brat’s brattiness will resurface and he has to knock some sense to him. One example is when he tried to raid a random farm where Thorfinn felt that Canute was diverting from his original plan of a peaceful nation. 

Thorfinn fights the urge to slam his head on the desk. No good. He cannot come up with anything.

“Fuck!” he grumbles under his breath. Dream, dream,dream, he cannot fucking think of anything like a dream except...

Thorfinn writes something on the paper before dashing out of the room vanishing like a cloud of smoke.

When Canute returns, he is not surprised to see that Thorfinn has escaped. What surprises him is when he finds out that Thorfinn didn't leave the paper blank. 

Canute picks it up and is even more flabbergasted at what’s written on it. He immediately turns around in the direction where Thorfinn ran as though he is chasing him with his eyes and shakes his head in amusement. Mouth agape, he did not expect this.

The word is in English and even though Thorfinn’s handwriting can rival a chicken’s scratch, Canute holds the paper tenderly and close to his chest. 

**_Canute Sweynson_ **

**Author's Note:**

> The story that Canute was talking about was inspired by Beowulf. The epic poem about a hero who helped a Dane king kill a beast and its mother but was ultimately killed by a dragon years later. There are sources that says it was written in behalf of the real King Canute the great. Makes me wonder if Yukimura was inspired by it. Hmm.
> 
> This is also set before "anywhere with you is home" and is a part of "reason for living" series.


End file.
